Wilkinson Stekloff, ACLU of Missouri, and Macarthur Justice Center reach landmark settlement requiring Hepatitis C treatment and education
Washington, D.C. – Today, Wilkinson Stekloff LLP announced a landmark settlement, ensuring that people incarcerated in Missouri’s prisons will receive life-saving Hepatitis C treatment and education.
Wilkinson Stekloff brought its trial expertise to the case after class certification was affirmed by the Eighth Circuit, joining the ACLU of Missouri and the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center to litigate the case in district court for the plaintiffs and achieve a successful resolution.
In June 2019, Wilkinson Stekloff and its co-counsel filed a motion for preliminary injunction, seeking to require the Missouri Department of Corrections and its private medical services contractor, Corizon LLC, to begin treating class members immediately. The Wilkinson Stekloff team recruited a roster of credentialed experts from around the country to offer evidence in support of Plaintiffs’ motion. At a week-long hearing on the motion, Wilkinson Stekloff associates Anastasia Pastan and Meghan Cleary ably directed the examination of Plaintiffs’ expert witnesses. Their compelling presentation of complicated medical material prompted questions from an engaged bench. Wilkinson Stekloff associate Amelia Frenkel cross-examined Defendants’ key fact witness, a Corizon Regional Medical Director, and one of their expert witnesses. Cross-examination exposed significant contradictions between the Medical Director’s live testimony and prior statements made under penalty of perjury. Over the course of the hearing, Wilkinson Stekloff proved that Defendants’ practices were far outside the mainstream of current medical science.
Subsequently, the Wilkinson Stekloff associate team, including associate Betsy Henthorne, deposed senior Department of Corrections and Corizon witnesses and spearheaded the push toward trial, including by continuing to develop Plaintiffs’ slate of credentialed experts and filing persuasive expert reports. Finally, Ms. Henthorne was able to lead the team through multiple mediation efforts to a resolution that delivers a successful outcome for the class, including an unprecedented investment in the health of incarcerated people in Missouri with HCV.
The Wilkinson Stekloff associates were supervised and supported by partner Tamarra Matthews Johnson throughout litigation of the case. Read more about the victory here.
Founded in February 2016, Wilkinson Stekloff has grown to nearly 40 lawyers and has quickly established itself as the leading trial boutique firm in the country. The firm has tried over a dozen cases to verdict across the country, winning the vast majority, and has won several other pre-trial victories in bet-the-company cases.
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